Turnabout Attorneys
by Brendan Aurabolt
Summary: Two murders in the same night bring together many people from Wright's past. Full Summary in Prologue, possible future lemons and guest appearances by Derek Stiles and Angie Thompson from the Trauma Center games.
1. Prologue

Turnabout Attorneys

By: Brendan Aurabolt

Category: Phoenix Wright/Apollo Justice

Rated: T

Overview: Takes place a year after AJ. When Phoenix Wright walks into the Wright & Co. Talent Agency and Law Offices with one Iris Hawthorne, Trucy and Apollo at last learn of the past of the "Reborn Attorney". Things get complicated when startling news from Ema, Gumshoe and a few old friends come to his attention: Judith von Karma, the young daughter of Miles Edgeworth and Franziska von Karma has been murdered. The person accused of killing her...is Franziska herself!

Edgeworth, who found their daughter's body refuses to be the prosecutor in charge of the case so that would automatically mean Klavier takes the case...or does it? Klavier's brother Kristoph is killed in prison by Steven Hawthorne, Morgan Fey's ex-husband and father of Pearl Fey, Iris and Dahlia Fey. Due to the conflict of interest Ema's sister Lana is pulled out of "retirement" to handle the Edgeworth/von Karma Case while Klavier oversees the Gavin/Hawthorne case.

This turn of events forces Phoenix, Trucy and Apollo to take a trip to Kurain Village, where they are in for more surprises. Maya has an eight year-old son named "Nick Wright", but his father can't be Phoenix Wright...right? Maya's not telling and Pearl insists he is. Also living with the Feys is Thalassa Gramarye, who just so happens to be Apollo and Trucy's mother. Only Phoenix and the Feys know this of course, but how long will it stay that way?

Now that everyone has been reunited, the Attorneys and Prosecutors can focus on the cases themselves. At Edgeworth's request, Apollo will be defending Franziska. Wright's past with the Hawthornes and the Gavins prevents him from getting involved, so who's going to represent the defendant? Luckily, Klavier knows an attorney willing to take the case, but not all is as it seems. What exactly does a de Killer Assassin have to do with these cases? Mark Anthony Toss, Hannah Patterson and Henry Gale from the Serene Adventure series guest stars. Derek Stiles and Angie Thompson from Trauma Center also make a guest appearance.

A/N: That is quite possibly the longest summary I've written PERIOD. I hope I didn't give too much away but the story's not as complicated as I made it look. This...you could look at it as cases 1-4, 2-4, 3-5 and 4-4 combined. It's got elements of all four cases in it. The reasons for Angie and Derek should be...self-explanatory. In the Serene Adventure series, Mark Anthony is a Defense Attorney. He's the only person I'm sharing any info about beforehand. I think it'd be more fun if you learned what role Henry and Hannah play the old-fashioned way. Ok that's enough stalling on my part. Read On!

_---_

_Prologue: Death's Embrace_

_---_

_March 13_

_Los Angeles Prison_

_8:00PM (PST)_

The once-Defense Attorney looked around the mess hall awkwardly. Thanks in no small part to his friend turned foe turned friend again Phoenix Wright, he'd been granted a cell of his own. That didn't necessarily mean he could walk amongst the rest of the prison population unmolested. Especially not recently.

Ever since his last appearance in court, he'd been the subject of ridicule and threats against his life by many inmates. Until the day he'd been summoned to court to testify, he could rest assured he'd defied the law and committed the perfect crime. Much to his surprise, his plans were not only exposed but the mole was acquitted thanks to the new Jurist System.

It was, in a way Phoenix Wright's method of punishing him; not revenge for getting him disbarred but rather punishment for believing he was untouchable. Even after he'd lost his badge Wright had been determined to uncover the truth. It wasn't until after Vera Misam's acquittal the elder Gavin fully understood what a mistake it was to believe the Ace Attorney could be so easily beaten.

"Hey, Gavin!" Kristoph turned to see a pair of prison guards running over to him. They both had a flustered expression on their faces. "Your attorney is here to see you. He's waiting back in your cell."

"Thank you, gentlemen." Kristoph replied with a nod. He understood their expressions when they came before him. His attorney, Mark Anthony Toss was young but gifted. He had a reputation of getting all legal matters having to do with him settled before the scheduled court date. When he couldn't, he always got his clients an acquittal on the first day. He had asked him to come to discuss getting his sentence reduced from death to life in prison.

As Kristoph walked into his cell the first thing he noticed was the light bulbs were missing. No, they weren't missing; they were broken, the shards sprinkled on the ground. He glanced up to see if the video camera recording the cell was on but to his surprise, it was turned off. "Sorry about the mess." his guest said as he turned around. "If I didn't tell the guards I was your attorney, well...they wouldn't just let me come and see you, yes?"

"Who hell are you?" Kristoph demanded as he walked over to the unknown visitor. He stopped when he saw the figure's face. Immediately, he knew. "So that's how it is, huh...?!" The sound of one of the iron gates closing prevented the name of the assailant from being heard by anyone who happened to be nearby.

With an almost fluid motion the assailant rose, pulled a pistol out of of their vest and shot Kristoph between the eyes before returning it to its holster. "It's nothing personal, Mr. Gavin." the assassin said as he stepped over his target's body and walked out of the cell. "Just business." It would be several minutes later before prison guards discovered Kristoph's body. Of course, the first person notified was his brother Klavier. Naturally, Klavier didn't take the news well at all.

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_March 13_

_Edgeworth-von Karma Residence_

_9:00PM_

Miles Edgeworth pulled his car into the driveway of the home he shared with Franziska von Karma and their daughter Judith. After that last trial involving the Feys, the two fell in love. Two years later they had a daughter and now Franziska was pregnant with their second child. Despite being a mother Franziska kept her job as a prosecutor. They took turns looking after Judith and made it a rule to never take a case each at the same time if it meant Judith wouldn't have someone to look after her.

The few times they were forced to work at the same time they'd been lucky Dick and Maggey Gumshoe were available to watch her. At the moment, neither of them had a case to work on. In fact, only recently had they been able to get in touch with Phoenix Wright since he'd been disbarred eight years ago. Although Wright was reinstated after that case last year, fate seemed to prevent either of them from facing him in court.

Edgeworth walked up to the front door in time to hear a gunshot from within the house. He knew Franziska and Judith were both home and immediately burst into the house. He also knew Franziska owned a gun and knew how to use it. "Franziska! Judith!" he exclaimed as he ran about the house. When he came to Judith's room, his heart stopped. Lying bleeding on the floor was their daughter Judith. Franziska was frantically trying to stop the bleeding.

"CALL AN AMBULANCE!" She exclaimed when she heard her husband enter. "HURRY!" Without another word, Edgeworth whirled around and ran into the living room and dialed 911.

"This is Miles Edgeworth. I need an ambulance. My daughter's been shot."

_March 13_

_Hope Hospital_

_9:30PM_

When the ambulance bay doors swung open at the hospital, Judith was immediately wheeled into the the waiting Emergency Room, her distraught parents right behind her. "Six year old girl with a single gunshot wound to the left lung...possibly the heart as well." the nurse in charge briefed the doctor on duty. "Bullet appears to be lodged in the pericardium. Her name's Judith Edgeworth von Karma."

"Did you just say EDGEWORTH?!" the young doctor exclaimed in surprise. "As in _Miles Edgeworth_?!"

"Yes, she's my daughter." Edgeworth interjected. When the two looked at each other, each man recognized the other. "Dr. Stiles?!"

"Hello, Mr. Edgeworth." the doctor replied as he managed a weakened smile. "I'll be taking care if your daughter. Her wounds are serious but I will do everything I can to keep her alive. Come, Angie. We must get her prepped for surgery."

"A moment, Dr. Stiles." Edgeworth suddenly said as he approached him. "Please hold onto the bullet when you extract it. It's _valuable evidence_."

"I understand." the doctor replied as he and Angie rushed her upstairs. Only then did Edgeworth turn to face his wife. No one said anything for a few moments. finally, he spoke.

"...Do you want to talk now...or after you've consulted Wright?"

"..." Franziska said nothing as she caressed her belly. Her gaze was fixed in Edgeworth's direction but she wasn't looking at him. For the sake of their unborn child she could not afford to lose it right now.

"I'll take your silence to mean after." Edgeworth remarked as he paced in front of the elevator. "I'll call him myself once we get an update on her condition." The worried parents didn't have to wait long. roughly fifteen minutes later, Dr. Stiles returned to them. His tired expression was enough to tell them it wasn't good news.

"...I'm sorry." he said as he looked them in the eye. "I...I couldn't save her. She's _dead_." Edgeworth said nothing as he felt his vision go dark. By sheer willpower he somehow stopped himself from fainting on the spot. Franziska, however had no such hesitation.

"Mrs. Edgeworth!" the doctor exclaimed as he dove, catching her in time.

"It's von Karma." Edgeworth said, more to himself. There were millions of questions flooding him mind and one fact that was the cause of them: "Franziska...killed our daughter..."

---

_March 13_

_Wright & Co. Law Offices_

_10:30PM_

"Apollo! Trucy!" Phoenix called as he and his companion entered the offices that once bore his mentor's name. After a few moments and the sound of some equipment being shuffled around, the two emerged from the his office. "Reading my old cases behind my back again, Apollo?"

"You know me too well." the young attorney remarked with a nervous laugh.

"I've already told told you: If you want to look at my old cases you need to wait until I've looked them over first. There are a few cases that I'd rather not have read by anyone except myself or those involved."

"Daddy, who's that with you?" Trucy asked. Standing next to Wright was a woman with dark hair and matching eyes. Her gaze was one of incredible beauty yet she looked sad and remorseful. Apollo couldn't quite put his finger on it but she looked like someone he'd read about in that case before the case that ended in Wright getting disbarred.

"This is our new secretary." Phoenix replied with a warm smile. "Her name's Iris Hawthorne. She and I go way back. She was just released from prison and was in need of a job. It just so happens we could use an extra pair of hands to help with our two areas of expertise."

"Apollo Justice, Ace Attorney." Apollo introduced as he shook her hand.

Trucy Wright, Magician Extraordinaire." Trucy said in kind with a bow. "A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Hawthorne."

"Please...just call me Iris." the former nun replied with a smile.

"Say Mr. Wright?" Apollo suddenly asked in surprise. "How come when I asked you if we could hire Larry Butz you said we weren't hiring?"

"I don't remember saying anything like that." Phoenix replied with an impassive expression. "Iris doesn't have housing yet so she'll be staying with us as well, Truce. Tomorrow will be your first day with us and once again, welcome aboard!"

"Thank you so much for the job, Feenie." she replied as she stroked his face with her hand. "I promise I will do everything in my power to make up for all of our lost time." Trucy and Apollo looked first at each other and then the couple before them in shock. Neither could think of anything to say so they kept their mouths shut.

"You two should probably get to bed." Phoenix said to them. "Tomorrow will be--" Phoenix was cut off when the phone suddenly rang.

"Who in the world...?" Apollo trailed as Wright picked up the phone.

"Wright & Co., this is Phoenix Wright speaking." said Wright as he answered the phone. "WHAT?!" he exclaimed. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE'S DEAD?! HOW?!" Realizing where he was, Wright calmed down immediately. "I understand. I'll meet you at the precinct."

"Who was that?" asked Trucy.

"Our next client." Wright remarked as he looked at the three gathered before him. "Well, Apollo. You wanted to meet a certain someone from my past so now you'll get your chance."

"Really?" the younger man asked in surprise.

"Yes." Wright replied. "That was Miles Edgeworth. He and his wife have requested our services."

---

And so ends the Prologue. Don't worry, Larry will make an appearance in the story. Derek and Angie will make another appearance or two as well. At least one more definite appearance. Before I finish writing Chapter 1, it would help to know how the story has been received thus far.

...Reviews aren't required but they do motivate me to update quicker.


	2. Chapter 1: What a Night

Turnabout Attorneys

By: Brendan Aurabolt

Category: Phoenix Wright/Apollo Justice

Rated: T

_Chapter 1: What a Night_

_March 13_

_11:00PM_

_Criminal Affairs Department_

When Phoenix and Apollo arrived at the police station, they could feel the tension in the atmosphere. Some officers were shouting at each other while others were either filing paperwork or looking over pictures of the Edgeworth family. Edgeworth asked them to meet him in Gumshoe's office. As they walked by Emma's office Apollo spied the familiar black, leather jacket of Klavier Gavin. He could only assume Klavier would be the prosecutor in charge of the case. If he wasn't with Wright he probably would have let himself in.

"A moment, Apollo." Wright said as they stood outside Gumshoe's office. "Before we meet with Detective Gumshoe and Prosecutor Edgeworth, I should tell you it's been eight years since we last spoke to each other. Ten years ago, we met in court for the first time. Over the course of the next two years, Edgeworth and I...we came to fully understand what the purpose of Defense Attorneys and Prosecutors is supposed to be."

"Kinda like me and Prosecutor Gavin?" Apollo asked. There was a pause.

"Yes, like you and Gavin." Wright replied before opening the door. Sitting behind the desk was Detective Dick Gumshoe. In Wright's early days as an Attorney, Gumshoe was in charge of all the cases Wright was involved in. It would seem the Detective was doing ok for himself to now have his own office. The man standing opposite the detective was who really had Apollo's attention. It wasn't until the two heard the door close that this man finally turned to face the attorneys.

"It's been a long time, Wright." Edgeworth said as they shook hands. Then he regarded Apollo momentarily. "You must be the "New Ace Attorney" everyone's been talking about."

"A-A-Apollo Justice." Apollo introduced as they shook hands. The younger man made little effort to hide how impressed he was to be standing before the man once called "The King of Prosecutors". "It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Edgeworth."

"Now that we've introduced ourselves, I think we can proceed." said Wright as he shot Edgeworth a glance. "I'm just going to assume you're going to ask me to defend Franziska, yes?"

"..." The silence caught Wright, Apollo and Gumshoe by surprise. Neither man had any reason to believe this was why the two attorneys had been called to meet with him.

"...Mr. Edgeworth?" Gumshoe said in a bid to test his ability to speak.

"...I know, Gumshoe." Edgeworth replied as he ran his fists through his hair to compose himself. He then looked his old friend in the eye and said "No, not you. I can't...no, I _forbid_ you to from getting involved. I would like to request Mr. Justice be the one to defend Franziska."

"W-WHAT?" Apollo and Wright exclaimed in equal surprise.

"All things considered, I'd think you would understand Wright." Edgeworth replied. "You defended me in court ten years ago while you saw Manfred von Karma convicted all at the same time. On top of that, you shut out everyone for seven years after you were disbarred and now this."

"Mr. Edgeworth..." Apollo trailed, unable to find the words.

"No, Wright." Edgeworth continued. "It would be a conflict of interest if I asked you to defend her. Just think about it: A prosecutor being defended by the attorney she faced in court against a fellow prosecutor who just so happens to be the defendant's husband and her attorney's good friend. No...for the truth of this to be known, it has to be someone who doesn't know either of us as well as you do."

"But why me?" Apollo asked as he thought for a moment. "And what about you? Are you sure you can...you know?"

"Honestly, no I don't. Edgeworth replied with a sigh. "I've made a few phone calls and I'm working on getting my old boss to take the case."

"Your old boss?" Apollo asked in surprise.

"Ema's sister Lana." Wright explained. "Ema told me Lana finished her prison time four years ago for her role in _that_ case. She's been working as a prosecutor in San Francisco ever since."

"I see." Apollo remarked with a nod. "What about you, Mr. Edgeworth?"

"I'm a witness so obviously I can't be the prosecutor in charge of this case." he replied. He reply was devoid of any emotion. Neither man said anything considering the circumstances. "Even if I were, there's no way in hell I'd..." he didn't need to finish to know what his next words would be.

"I know this isn't going to be easy, Edgeworth..." Apollo started, to which Edgeworth nodded.

"Very well. I'll tell you all I know." At that moment, the door opened. In strode Ema Skye and Klavier Gavin.

"My sister just called, Mr. Edgeworth." said Ema. "She's agreed to take the case and she's on her way here." That's when she noticed the two attorneys in the room. "Oh, hello gentlemen. I see Mr. Edgeworth doesn't like to waste time, huh?"

"Apollo will be defending Franziska von Karma." Wright explained.

"Oh, what a pleasant surprise." Gavin remarked as he flashed Wright a smile. "Then it's safe to assume you can be counted on for the case I'm in charge of ja, Herr Wright?"

"What case?" Wright asked with a surprised look as Ema shut the door. "You mean there was another murder?"

"Yes." Gavin replied as he looked first at Wright and then Apollo. "My brother, Kristoph was killed in prison."

"Impossible!" Apollo exclaimed.

"That was the first thing I said when I was told the news as well, Herr Forehead." Klavier replied as he pushed his hair from his eyes. "Apparently, he was killed by another inmate. It turns out this particular inmate may be of some interest to you, Herr Wright. I understand his ex-wife and daughters tried to wipe out the Fey family line in the past. Well, except the youngest. What was her name again...? Ah yes, Pearl Fey."

"What the defendant's name?" Wright asked, although he was afraid he already knew. His thoughts immediately fell to Iris. He thanked himself he asked her to stay with Trucy. Having just been released from prison and having had to deal with the deaths of her aunt and twin sister, this was something he wanted to spare her from having to deal with.

"Steven Hawthorne." Gavin replied. "Though, to be honest I doubt you may be involved after all."

"What makes you say that?"

"Because his lawyer specifically requested no one else be allowed to defend him." Gavin replied "He's meeting with his client right now, actually."

"I see..." Wright remarked, his attention now to other things. While he would have no direct involvement with either case, there were a few people who would be interested in knowing what was going on. "I think you might be wrong about not meeting me though, Gavin, Edgeworth. If anything, you'll need my help more than you'll ever know."

_March 14_

_Wright & Co Law Offices_

_8:00AM (PST)_

Apollo and Phoenix said nothing when they returned from the precinct. Trucy and Iris knew the two had probably taken on a new case and said nothing, either. They busied themselves fixing breakfast for Wright and Justice. It was Apollo who entered the office first. "Good morning, Mr. Justice." Iris greeted as Apollo sat at his desk. "Did you sleep well?"

"Please, just call me Apollo," the visibly tired Justice replied before adding "And no, I didn't. I still can't believe all that's happened."

"Everything ok?" Iris asked with a concerned look. The look Iris was giving him made him want to pour his heart out to her but the magnitude of what he learned the night before stopped him cold.

Well, almost.

"There were two murders last night." he explained as Trucy walked over to him. "Judith Edgeworth von Karma, the daughter of Miles Edgeworth and Franziska von Karma was murdered at their home. Her mother is accused of being the one who killed her."

"No..." Iris trailed. "It can't be...!"

"That's what I said." Apollo replied. "And on top of that, Klavier's brother Kristoph was killed in prison too."

"Klavier's brother...?" Trucy exclaimed. "How-who would want to kill such a man?"

"T...That's..." Apollo stammered. _I can't. I can't say his name! I promised Mr. Wright I wouldn't tell Iris the name of the defendant but she should know!_

"That is the question of the hour." The three turned to see Phoenix Wright enter the office. He looked like he hadn't slept at all. He didn't even bother to fix his hair as well. "I was just on the phone with Ema. They're close to finding the person or persons responsible." He shot Apollo a suspicious look very briefly before turning to Iris.

"I'm glad I got out when I did." Iris said as they embraced. "The last thing I'd want to have to deal with is the idea that I might know the murderer."

"AH!" Apollo yelped. Phoenix ignored him.

"We're taking a road trip." he announced as he smiled for the first time since before the phone call.

"Where to?" Trucy asked.

"To visit some old friends...and family." he replied as he patted Iris on the shoulder. "We're going to visit the Fey Family."

"Really?" Trucy exclaimed. "That's great! I've always wanted to meet them!"

"That's why we're going." Wright replied, smiling. "I also wanted to surprise them with Iris, who was just released from prison. It's been eight years. You know, Pearl's about your age, Trucy. The only difficult thing about meeting her might be explaining...you know." Of course, he was talking about Wright being Trucy's adopted daughter. He'd already explained things to Iris but Pearl tried really hard at being matchmaker with him and Maya.

"This is wonderful news!" Iris exclaimed. "It will be like a homecoming! Come, Trucy! Let's get packed for the trip!" When the girls left, Wright at last turned to his understudy.

"So that's the plan?" Apollo asked him. "We just lie to her?"

"For now...yes." he replied. "Neither she or Trucy need to know Iris' father is the defendant in the Gavin case. If Trucy finds out I know she'll tell Iris. Besides..._it's not as if it'd be the first time I'm swearing something to secrecy_..." Apollo didn't catch the last part of what Wright just said but he knew he was hiding something. Whatever this _something_ was he didn't want even _him_ to know.

"Wait-shouldn't I stay behind so I can meet with Mrs. von Karma?" Apollo asked.

"Probably, but I'm going to need you to tag along a bit more." Wright replied with a nervous laugh.

* * *

End Chapter 1.

Next chapter, we meet the defendant and his attorney for the first time. Maya and Phoenix haven't seen each other in eight years. What do you think will happen? As for Phoenix's words to Edgeworth...yes, that has something to do with the visit as well.

Before I go I feel the need to say it will be a few days before my next update. My family's having a crisis at the moment and I may be subpoenaed for the domestic violence case involving my brothers. I know, it's kind of ironic I'm writing about legal stories when I'm in the middle of a REAL one as of this morning. On top of that, I'm studying to be a LAWYER.

Ironic, yes? I think so, too.

Reviews are not required but they do motivate me to update quicker...


	3. Chapter 2: Motive For Murder

Turnabout Attorneys

By: Brendan Aurabolt

Category: Phoenix Wright/Apollo Justice

Rated: T

_XxX  
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_Chapter 2: Motive for Murder_

_XxX  
_

_March 14_

_Los Angeles Detention Center_

_8:30AM (PST)_

It had taken some time but in a single night, Mark Anthony Toss gathered enough evidence for him to prove his client innocent. As he sat in the two-way room his client, Steven Hawthorne entered from the door in the opposing room. They were seated at roughly the same time, to which the prison guard on the attorney's side left the room.

"Good morning, Mr. Hawthorne." Mark Anthony greeted.

"So, how did it go?" his client asked. "Were you able to find out anything?"

"I was able to find out the person who killed Kristoph Gavin probably wasn't you." Mark Anthony replied with a nod. "If not for the efforts of a certain Ace Attorney who shall remain nameless, I'd say it would be a life or death battle to get you acquitted of the murder charge. Unfortunately, this would have no bearing whatsoever on your current sentence."

"I was afraid you'd say that." Hawthorne remarked thoughtfully. "Very well. I've only got two more years left anyway. Am I right to assume the District Attorney will be handling the case?"

"If by that you mean Prosecutor Klavier Gavin, then yes." Mark Anthony replied. "Even if Miles Edgeworth and Franziska von Karma weren't dealing with a murder case of their own I doubt they'd want to get involved."

"There was another murder?" Hawthorne asked in surprise.

"Their daughter, Judith was killed about an hour after Kristoph was murdered." said Mark Anthony as he held up the front page of the Los Angeles Times. The headliner read 'Edgeworth-von Karma Murder!' Below that was a picture of the family in happier times. "If that's not disturbing enough, the person accused of killing the girl is her own mother. Sound familiar, Steven?"

"...You don't even have to say it." the older man remarked as he rand his hand through his auburn hair, thinking back to the hell he put himself through the day he met _her_. "I've already lost a daughter because of the Fey Clan. My youngest should be seventeen about now and my other daughter was just released from prison. I barely know the younger one and I'm sure Iris wants nothing to do with me after what happened to her twin sister Dahlia."

"...I'm sorry, but it may already be too late for that." said Mark Anthony as he took something out of his backpack. "I just came from the prison. One item in particular caught my attention in Kristoph's cell, you see. Do you know what this is?" When he held up the card, Steven gasped in shock.

"...It can't be...!" Hawthorne exclaimed in shock. "That's...!"

"The calling card of the de Killer Assassins, yes." Mark Anthony finished. "The only case that made trial involving a de Killer-Shelly de Killer, at that-was the Matt Engarde case. Interestingly, it was Phoenix Wright's second to last case before he was disbarred. I actually tried visiting his office on the way here but it turns out he and his protege left for Kurain Village this morning. I need to know everything he and de Killer's then-hostage knows about the de Killer Assassin. The only way I'm going to know that is if I meet with them, and what better time than when they're together for the first time in eight years?"

"Wait a minute." Hawthorne suddenly said. "How exactly do you know all of this stuff about Phoenix Wright, anyway? It's almost as if you've been watching him."

"Why do that when you know a private investigator willing to do it for free?" his attorney replied with a grin. "As we speak, he's on his way to Kurain Village right now. I intend to meet with him before I meet with Wright in person. I just wanted you to know what I was planning to do."

"I see." said Hawthorne. "They said the trial begins tomorrow. Will you be back in time to defend me?"

"Of course!" Mark Anthony shot back. "Who do you think I am? My job is to defend you in court and I assure you _I will be there to do it in person_."

_March 14_

_Kurain Village_

_10:30AM_

"Here we are." said Wright as everyone emerged from the car he rented for their trip. "It's been almost a decade but the place hasn't changed a bit." The group walked up the stairs of the Fey Family Estate, three of them for the first time. What Trucy knew of Kurain Village was from the pictures she found around the office. When the reach the top of the stairs, they stood before a large door. Apollo reached for the knocker but stopped short of touching it.

"Mr. Wright, I think maybe you should do the honors." he said as he turned around.

"No, you can go ahead actually." Wright replied.

"No No, I insist." Apollo said as he walked over to his mentor.

"Really, that's ok Apollo!" Wright exclaimed as he made a face.

"Come on, do it daddy!" Trucy exclaimed as she and Apollo pushed him towards the door. "You are the only one of us who's been here!"

"That's not true!" Wright shot back. "Iris used to _live_ here!"

"Yes, but I was so young back then." Iris replied thoughtfully. "I wouldn't exactly say this can still be called home for me like Hazakura Temple."

"Oh, hello." a new voice said. Everyone turned around at the sound of the voice. They looked down to see a boy wearing traditional Spirit Medium clothes had come without any of them noticing. "Are you by chance here to request a channeling from Ma-I mean Master Maya and Mystic Pearl?"

"Um...not exactly." Apollo replied as he quickly regained his composure. "We're kind of old friends of theirs and we're visiting. They should be expecting us." The lad thought for a moment before walking to the door.

"Please wait here." he said as he turned to Wright. "I'll see if they're available. Can I have your name, good sir?"

"...Wright." Phoenix replied. "Phoenix Wright, Ace Attorney." At this, the boy gasped in surprise. He could only stare at the veteran attorney in stunned silence, who noted the boy's surprise at the mention of his name. "...Is something wrong?"

"You're not the Ace Attorney anymore, daddy." Trucy pointed out with a laugh. "That's Polly now, remember?"

"...I'll be right back." the lad said before disappearing inside.

"I wonder who he is?" asked Iris. "And if he knows you, Phoenix. That's the same look you gave me when you first saw me at Hazakura Temple, remember?"

"How could I forget?" Wright replied as he thought back to the events of the day that effected the lives of so many people. "In one night, Maya was reunited with her mother only to lose her again hours later because of your mother and her aunt, Morgan Fey."

"Oh, so Trucy's not the only person you know who lost a parent?" Apollo asked in surprise.

"...He also proved Miles Edgeworth wasn't responsible for the death of his father." a new voice said. Iris and Phoenix recognized the voice right away. Everyone turned to see the lad from before plus two women. The older of the two wore channeling clothes with a lavender jacket. Her black hair, which reached her lower back was tied neatly behind her like a cape. The other, younger woman had light brown hair that reached her shoulders. She, too wore channeling clothes but her jacket was pink instead of lavender. The lad's jacket was red.

"Maya...?" Wright finally said, having found his voice. "Is that really you?"

"Alive and well, yes!" she exclaimed as she threw her arms around him. Neither said anything for a few moments. Right now they were just happy to see each other after eight years. "It's been so long since I last saw you. You've really grown up since then! Oh, where are my manners? You remember Pearly, don't you?"

"Hi, Phoenix!" Pearl exclaimed as she threw her arms around him. "Wow, you're taller than I remember you!"

"You've really grown too, Pearls." Wright replied with a smile. "You look just like Maya when we first met."

"You really think so?" Pearl asked in surprise as she struck a pose. "Master Maya says I look more like Mystic Mia."

"Finally, I want to introduce you to the youngest member of the Fey Family." said Maya, directing everyone's attention to the boy they met before. "Meet Nick Wright. He's the first male member of the Fey family to have the same channeling abilities as me and Pearls!"

"That's incredible!" Wright exclaimed with a nervous laugh. There were a dozen questions going through his mind but to avoid a sound thrashing from both Pearl and Trucy, he dared not say any of them now. "Oh, where are my manners? You remember Iris Hawthorne, right? She was released from prison recently and now works as a secretary at Wright and Co."

"A pleasure to see you again, Master Maya, Mystic Pearl." Iris said with a bow.

"Please, just call me Maya." Maya replied. "It doesn't take as long to say."

"And this is Apollo Justice, the lawyer I've been telling you about." Wright continued. "I have him to thank for getting my disbarment rescinded."

"Pleased to meet you at last, Apollo." said Maya as they shook hands. "Oh, my! I can feel strong spiritual power within you!"

"Trucy said something like that too when we first met." Apollo remarked with a sheepish grin. "I have the power of perception. I can tell when someone's trying to hide something. I use this bracelet to help me focus when I use my power in court."

"Is it like a Magatama?" Pearl asked.

"A Maga-what-a...?" Apollo asked with a confused look on his face.

"This." said Wright as he took the Magatama Maya gave him ten years ago out of his pocket. It gave off a soft, greenish glow from the spiritual power it had been infused with. "It gives the bearer the power to see when a person he keeping a secret. When a person has a secret, the bearer will see a 'Psyche Locks'. The number of locks will tell you how important the secret is to the person. The more locks there are, the more they want to keep the secret."

"How do you...'unlock' these locks?" asked Apollo.

"The same way you expose contradictions in court." Wright replied with a shrug. "Just present evidence and that should break the locks. The only locks I haven't been able to break are black ones."

"That reminds me." Pearl said thoughtfully. "You've come at a good time, Phoenix. It took a few years of practice but I found a way to break Black Psyche Locks."

"Y-You did?" Maya asked in surprise. "I didn't know that."

"Really?" Wright asked as he silently passed the Magatama to Apollo. "Well, before I question your line of thinking, I want to introduce you to the only person who before today and other than me carries the name 'Wright'. My daughter, Trucy."

"D-Did you just say...?" Pearl exclaimed in shock as she and Maya stared at Wright, then Trucy and back again. "It can't be...? She looks to be about may age!"

"It's kind of a long story." Trucy replied sheepishly. "I was eight years old when I became his daughter. You see..." Wright shot Trucy a grateful nod, which was followed by a sigh of relief for her quick thinking.

"Oh, I see." Pearl said after Trucy and Wright told the story of the Gramarye Family and the cases that tied Apollo, Trucy and Wright together. "My apologies, Phoenix. For a minute I though you might have done something to have added to-" That was all she would save before Maya covered her mouth.

"I think that's enough prying from you." Maya said with a nervous laugh. "Honestly Pearls, it's been EIGHT YEARS since we last saw Phoenix. At least he came back to us!"

_"Hey Apollo?"_ Wright whispered.

_"Yeah?"_ Apollo whispered back.

_"Let me know if you see anything unusual."_ Wright replied as he turned to Maya. "You know, I just realized something, Maya."

"Oh?" Maya said with a confused look. "What's that?"

"When she was younger, Pearls would always call me 'Mr. Nick' and you would always call me 'Nick." Wright replied. "Yet, now you're both calling me 'Phoenix'. Why the change...?"

"Um...well..." Pearl stammered, shooting Maya a glace for some help with this one.

"And that's not all." Wright continued. "How come little Nick's last name is 'Wright' and not Fey?"

"AH!" they both screamed.

"Whoa!" Apollo exclaimed in surprise. He looked to see the the area around both Fey women go pitch black. This was followed by a series of chains crossing both of them in all directions, only to be topped off with a series of locks. Apollo counted three red and yellow locks on Pearl and seven black locks on Maya. _These must be the Psyche Locks they were talking about. Is this what Mr. Wright wanted me to see?_

"How many?" Wright asked aloud.

"I see three red and yellow locks on Pearl and seven black ones on Maya." he replied, to which Wright could only look at them in stunned silence. His gaze fell on Maya in particular. He had little doubt what she knew had alot to do with him in particular.

"...I'm sorry." Maya finally said. "Right now...I can't tell you...my reasons. You are not yet ready."

"I see." Wright replied with a look of defeat. For now, he would have to put off breaking their locks. "I think you should keep that Magatama, Apollo. It might come in useful in your upcoming trial. Combined with your Perception ability, the truth will always be revealed to you."

"But what about you?" Apollo asked Wright.

"I'm going to give him a new one." Pearl replied. "And as promised, I'm going to show him how to break Black Psyche Locks. When you're ready, I'll show you, too."

"How about everyone come inside for some tea?" Nick offered. "We could talk more someplace more comfortable."

"Good thinking, Nick."said Maya as she opened the doors much wider. "We have rooms prepared for all of you. Come on in."

"That actually reminds me." Apollo suddenly said. "I have to head back soon to get ready for tomorrow's trial. Do you mind if I borrow the car, Mr. Wright?"

"Sure, no problem." Wright replied before adding "Just make sure to put some gas in the tank when you get back to the city."

_March 14_

_Edgeworth-von Karma Residence_

_11:15AM_

Miles Edgeworth sat at the kitchen table holding the cup of coffee he just made. He stared into the steaming beverage, finding himself unable to raise the cup to his lips. Investigators were all over the house but most of them were in Judith's bedroom where he'd found her and Franziska. The officers promised to leave him be while they did their job but he knew it meant nothing.

The media had camped outside earlier and showed no signs of leaving without a statement. It was no surprise considering the two top prosecutors in the city were personally involved in a murder, and the murder of their only daughter at that. Edgeworth didn't know if his wife really killed their daughter or not. Franziska loved their daughter more than him despite the fact she inherited much of his personality.

He stared at a picture of Judith hanging on the wall. Portraits were all that remained of her now. When Franziska told her she was pregnant seven years ago, he was the happiest man in the world. This was two years after the Hawthorne-Fey case at Hazakura Temple and a few months after they married. The pregnancy had been a difficult one and she nearly miscarried twice.

At Thanksgiving she gave him the news she was pregnant again and they were looking forward to the arrival of another baby. He knew that if Franziska were to be found guilty she wouldn't be allowed to take care of the baby in prison. Not after being convicted of killing her own child. Franziska was a strong woman, no question. He just couldn't help but wonder if she, too had been touched by the von Karma Family Curse. It brought down her father and for awhile he thought she'd overcome the "Perfectionist Doctrine" that went back several generations.

"Maybe I was wrong..." He said as Detective Gumshoe came into the kitchen and sat in one of the empty chairs. "I know Franziska and I know what I saw. Still, I..."

"I can't even begin to imagine how hard this must be for you, Mr. Edgeworth." Gumshoe said with a downcast expression. "If something like this happened to Maggey and Ellen I don't know what I'd do. I might even ask Phoenix Wright to defend Maggey. He's already gotten her acquitted of murder twice-once against Franziska and again against Godot...I mean Diego Armando."

"It's going to be so hard knowing she's gone." Edgeworth replied. "She was our inspiration. She gave us the strength to go on even when we against the ropes. For her sake I must be strong no matter what may come of the trial."

"I don't know if this is harder for you or Mrs. von Karma." Gumshoe remarked. "The guards have been trying to make her comfortable given her condition but she refuses the accommodations. It's almost as if she's trying to punish herself..."

"OBJECTION!." Edgeworth exclaimed as he stood and slammed his palm on the table. "I refuse to accept that! Unless you've got some _evidence_ backing up your claim, I don't want to hear another word!"

"Unfortunately sir, I do." Gumshoe replied as he handed Edgeworth a folded piece of paper-and her whip.

"It can't be...!" he exclaimed as he dropped the note. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

_March 14_

_Los Angeles Detention Center_

_2:00PM_

Apollo hurriedly ran up the steps of the detention center and into the waiting area where Franziska von Karma was. "Sorry I'm late." he said as he sat in the chair across from her. "I drove here all the way from Kurain Village only to have the rental run out of gas at the edge of town." When Franziska looked at him, she made no effort to hide her annoyance.

"You must be a foolish fool who thinks foolishly that he can show up for trial at any foolishly foolish time." she said as she glared at him.

"Um...thanks?" Apollo managed. In the next instant he felt something sting the side of his face, nearly knocking him out of his chair. "OW!" He looked up to see to see that Franziska was now holding a black leather whip.

"The guards were kind enough to supply me with this whip after mine was taken from me." Franziska explained as she played with her trademark weapon of choice while Apollo composed himself. "You'll be pleased to know you're the first person I've used it on."

"The pleasure is all mine...I think..." said Apollo before getting whipped again by Franziska. "What was that for?" At this she whipped him once more.

"That's how I show affection." she replied as her allowed a smile to spread across her face, albeit briefly. "So you're Phoenix Wright's little protege, huh? I've heard about you from Detective Ema Skye and Prosecutor Klavier Gavin. If you've proven to be as good as the original, then perhaps..." She didn't need to finish for Apollo to know what her next words would have been. Since she'd gone into the subject he decided to get down to business.

"I know this is going to very difficult, but could you tell me _what happened_?" Apollo asked her as he braced for another blow from her whip. Surprisingly, it didn't come.

"I was setting the table for the three of us when I heard a scream coming from Judith's room." she began, the pain in her voice loud and clear. "When I burst into the room, I saw her bleeding on the floor above the half-opened window. Lying next to her was a pistol...the murder weapon. That was when I fainted."

"How long were you out?" Apollo asked.

"Maybe...5 to 10 minutes at the most." Franziska replied. "It was the sound of my husband pulling into the driveway that awoke me. That's when I accidentally made the gun go off. The round hit me in the same spot where I'd been shot years ago."

"What happened when Mr. Edgeworth came into the room?" asked Apollo, thought he was sure he already knew the answer.

"Neither of us said anything at first." Franziska said after a pause. "All I could think of was trying to save our daughter. He went to call an ambulance while I started CPR. Unfortunately, our efforts weren't enough to save her..." Apollo dared not question her on the topic any further. He was both afraid of getting whipped again and he wanted to be mindful of the fact she was with child.

"You mentioned you're acquainted with Mr. Wright." he said in a bid to change the subject. "Does that mean you've faced him in court?"

"Of course." she replied before whipping him. "Phoenix Wright is the luckiest Defense Attorney I've ever met. Except for when he disgraced himself eight years ago, he is quite possibly the only Defense Attorney I have actually come to respect. In court, he fights for the truth."

_Gee, thanks for the vote of confidence._ Apollo said to himself. At this, Franziska whipped him once more. "WHOA! You can read minds?"

"No, but you make your thoughts all too clear Mr. Apollo Justice." she replied. "I've been told the trial starts tomorrow. I hope you're prepared. I understand you've faced Prosecutor Klavier Gavin in court already, yes?"

"A-Actually, the prosecutor in charge is going to be Ema's sister Lana Skye." Apollo explained slowly. He braced for another lash but to his surprise it never came. He waited a moment before continuing. "Mr. Gavin's dealing with a case involving his brother's murder. Apparently, Kristoph Gavin and your daughter, Judith were killed about an hour apart."

"How is that possible?" Franziska exclaimed in shock.

"I don't know, but Detective Skye thinks the murders might be connected." Apollo replied. This was when the lash came.

"Of course they are connected you foolish fool!" she exclaimed as she continued to whip him. "Why else would two prosecutors be targeted in a single night?" Apollo could only brace himself as she whipped him with each word. It was clear she may know something about both cases but how? This was when he remembered the Magatama Wright gave him earlier. Almost involuntarily, he held it before saying

"Mrs. von Karma, I have a question I must ask you." he said as he kept an eye on her whip. "How are these two cases connected?" He let out a gasp as, just like in Kurain Village the space around Franziska went completely black. A series of chains surrounded her and was topped with two red and yellow Psyche Locks. _I should have known._

"I'm sorry, but that's privileged information." she replied. As Wright mentioned to him, the target was completely oblivious to the Psyche Locks. Only the bearer of the Magatama or a Spirit Medium could see them.

"I was afraid you'd say that." he said with a dejected sigh. "I think it's time I headed back to Wright & Co. to prepare for the trial. I promise I will do everything I can to get to the bottom of this."

"For your sake and mine, I sincerely hope so." Franziska replied. Apollo whirled around at her sudden change in emotion. He couldn't tell if her sudden change was because of her pregnancy or because of the death of her daughter. "One more thing, Mr. Apollo Justice. I want you to give this to Phoenix Wright." she handed him a white card with a drawing of Wright's profile on it.

"I'll see that he gets it." he replied as he slipped the card into his pocket. "See you tomorrow, Mrs. von Karma."

* * *

End Chapter 2.

So much needed covering in there! I'm really happy with the flow of the chapter. As you can hopefully see I tried to keep Pearl and Franziska in character. Her meeting with Apollo is more or less how I imagine it would be. The next two chapters are a trial each. I was originally planning to do both in the same chapter but now I'm going to separate them for less confusion.

We're only up to chapter 2 and already there's 3 people with Psyche Locks. On top of that, one of them has BLACK Psyche Locks. We never found out how to break them in the games so at last, the secret is revealed!


	4. Chapter 3: Ace Attorney v Hard Rock

Turnabout Attorneys

By: Brendan Aurabolt

Category: Phoenix Wright/Apollo Justice

Rated: T

A/N: I just wanted to take a moment to thank those who've reviewed thus far. Since everyone prettymuch said the same thing ("I like this story so far, please continue!") that's all I've got to say about that. As a reminder, the trial in this chapter and the trial in the next chapter are happening at the same time.

Oh, and the reason I listed the setting as Los Angeles is because of how certain areas in the four games are described. Spirit Channeling is also more...accepted in California than prettymuch the entire East Coast (and I live on the East Coast, lol). The Celebrity Cases are the most solid evidence to boot so...yeah.

Finally: I was listening to the soundtrack from the Four Ace Attorney Games when I wrote these two chapters XD

_---_

_Chapter 3: Ace Attorney v. Hard Rock _

_---_

_March 15_

_Los Angeles District Courthouse: Defendant Lobby No. 1_

_9:15AM_

Mark Anthony Toss let out a sigh of relief when the Bailiff brought Steven Hawthorne into the Defendant Lobby. He'd been waiting for thirty minutes and they were to enter the courtroom in five minutes. "So sorry for the wait, Mr. Toss." said Hawthorne as he sat next to his attorney on the brown couch next to the doors to the courtroom. "I had to use the bathroom and then the police car got stuck in traffic!"

"It's quite ok." Mark Anthony replied with a smile. "And please, call me Anthony. The formalities mean nothing to me, really. I found out there's another trial going on at the same time as ours, by the way."

"The von Karma/Edgeworth one?" Hawthorne guessed.

"That's the one." Mark Anthony replied with a nod. "I seriously doubt the judge presiding over that case will be able to reach a verdict in one day. If things go my way, then we'll have another trial to look forward to."

"What do you mean?" Hawthorne asked.

"The judge presiding over our trial...he's a complete idiot." the attorney replied with an annoyed sigh. "I mean literally. Of course, no prosecutor or defense attorney would dare say that to him in court. The defense traditionally has to work its ass off to prove their client's innocence. Phoenix Wright is quite possibly the only one the judge has complete faith in of us all. That was why I wanted to meet with him but I never got the chance to visit him in Kurain Village..."

"It's time to go in." said the Bailiff as he opened the doors of the courtroom. Mark Anthony could tell his words were more for his client than him.

_March 15_

_Los Angeles District Courthouse: Room No. 1_

_9:20AM_

"All rise!" said the bailiff once the Defense and the Prosecution were at their tables. In walked the Judge, who sat at his desk at the front of the courtroom. Only then did the bailiff give the order for all to sit. The only ones still standing were of course the defense attorney and the prosecutor: Klavier Gavin.

"Court is now in session for the trial of State v. Steven Hawthorne." said the judge as he looked at my client. "Are the defense and the prosecution ready?"

"The defense is ready, Your Honor." said Mark Anthony as he looked at the prosecutor's desk.

"The prosecution is ready to rock." said Gavin as he glared at Mark Anthony. It was clear he intended to make this trial a quick one.

"Oh? You're not Phoenix Wright." The Judge suddenly said as he looked at Mark Anthony. "I'd been told Mr. Wright would be the Defense Attorney in today's trial."

"That's quite impossible, Your Honor." Mark Anthony replied in surprise. "I've been Mr. Hawthorne's attorney for several years. I specifically requested no one else be allowed to represent him in court."

"I see...well, this should be a rather open and shut case then, yes?" The Judge said after a pause. "How does the defense plead?"

"Not Guilty, Your Honor." Mark Anthony replied. "And before this day is over, I intend to establish my client's innocence."

"I'll be the judge of that, Herr Anthony." Klavier replied as he snapped his fingers to the beat of a melody only he was hearing. It was a passive habit of his that often presented itself during trials when he was feeling bored or impatient. "You may wish to hear the evidence that says otherwise first before being so hasty."

"Right you are, Mr. Gavin." the Judge remarked as he scratched his beard. "Would you please give an outline of the case?"

"Of course." Gavin replied. "On March 13 at 8:30PM the victim, Kristoph Gavin--my older brother--was shot and killed inside his cell. The victim was shot at point blank range and died instantly. Everything about the victim's death can be found in his autopsy report."

"The court accepts the Autopsy Report into the Court Record." said the Judge as Klavier handed a copy of the autopsy report to the Bailiff. "Wait--Kristoph Gavin is your brother! Why are you the prosecutor in charge of the case?!"

"Unfortunately, both Miles Edgeworth and Franziska von Karma are in the courtroom next door." Gavin replied. "As for Winston Payne...the series of losses he suffered at the hands of Phoenix Wright and Apollo Justice got him fired!"

"No, no, no, this won't do at all." said the judge as he shook his head disapprovingly. "Allowing you to preside over the case is a conflict of interest considering you're the brother of the victim."

"OBJECTION!" Mark Anthony exclaimed. "...The defense has no problem with Mr. Gavin being the prosecutor in charge of this case!" Hearing this, the judge thought for a moment.

"...Very well, I will allow the trial to proceed." said the Judge. "You may continue with your opening statements, Mr. Gavin."

"Thank you, Your Honor." the prosecutor replied with a grateful nod. Both he and Mark Anthony knew there was a good chance Steven would be acquitted if Edgeworth took over considering the circumstances. Klavier couldn't help but wonder if there was another reason the defense insisted the trial continue. "Unfortunately, there were no witness to the crime itself. We do, however have two witnesses who saw Mr. Hawthorne. One saw him enter Kristoph's cell. The other saw him leaving the cell block where my brother was housed."

"Are both of the witnesses here?" the judge asked.

"Why of course." Gavin replied with a nod. "Both of them were quite eager to be subpoenaed for this trial. When you see them, I think you might understand why."

"Now I'm really curious!" the judge exclaimed. "The prosecution may call in its first witness!" Mark Anthony tensed up when the doors of the courtroom opened. Escorted by two corrections officers was a man about Gavin's height. He had unnaturally long, black hair. The front of his hairline protruded about two feet from his head and appeared to take on the visage of a shark with white streaks along his hairline.

"It's been along time." the man said as he stood at the witness stand. He shot Mark Anthony a curious look. It was brief but enough for him to know the man was trying to figure him out. "Well, at least you're not Apollo Justice."

"Your name and er...occupation for the court." said Gavin.

Daryan Crescend, inmate #48524730." the witness replied. "Before my 'early retirement' I was a police detective in International Affairs."

"Ooh, that hurt Daryan." Gavin remarked sarcastically. "Even though you used my guitar to illegally smuggle a cocoon, made me a fool on stage and then had the audacity to set said guitar on fire...I still consider you a good friend of mine."

"...To hell with you, Klavier." Crescend replied in response. "Let's just get this over with, ok?"

"Have it your way, Daryan." said Klavier. "Of course, I hope I don't need to say what could happen if your testimony is discredited."

"It 8:00PM when I saw two prison guards talking to Kristoph." Daryan began. "Apparently he had a visitor so he headed back to his cell to meet him. Right after he left, the defendant ran down the hall in the direction of Kristoph's cell. A few minutes after the footsteps stopped, two gunshots rang out. Next thing I know, we're in a lockdown." He couldn't place his finger on it but there were two parts of the testimony Mark Anthony found questionable.

"There was a surveillance camera in the cell block area Daryan described." said Klavier. "Unfortunately, the surveillance footage appears to have disappeared shortly after the murder took place."

"Disappeared?!" The judge exclaimed in shock.

"Apparently, the murderer had the bright idea to dispose of the most decisive evidence." Klavier suggested as he shot my client a look. "Of course, a thorough search of his cell is underway as we speak. I intend to add the charge of tampering with evidence to his murder charge when it's been recovered."

"That's impossible!" Mark Anthony remarked in surprise.

"Normally I would agree with you, Herr Anthony but the tape is indeed missing." Klavier replied.

"No, you don't understand." Mark Anthony replied as he produced a plastic bag with the word "EVIDENCE" from his briefcase. Inside was a black video tape. "I got the tape from the warden yesterday after I visited my client. It had been found in a trash can outside the security room."

"WHAT?!" Daryan, the Judge and Klavier exclaimed in unison.

"And that's not all." He continued. "With your permission Your Honor, I'd like to begin my Cross-Examination."

"You may begin, Mr. Toss."the judge replied as both Daryan and Klavier stared at me in amazement.

"If you don't mind my asking Daryan, how much do you know about my client?" Mark Anthony asked.

"Next to nothing, why?" he asked absently.

"Well as you said, Mr. Hawthorne was indeed running down the hall." the young attorney began. "What you probably didn't know was March 13 at 8:30PM was a very significant time for my client...and Mr. Gavin's _other_ witness."

"You mean...!" Gavin exclaimed as he remembered what made the time so special.

"Yes: That was when Morgan Fey's execution was to be carried out." Mark Anthony finished. "And carried out it was, of course. My client witnessed the execution with his own eyes."

"How can this be...?" the judge asked. "If Mr. Hawthorne was indeed present to see Morgan Fey executed, he can't possibly be the one who killed Kristoph Gavin!"

"Objection!" Klavier exclaimed in response. I watched as he did an air guitar riff before he spoke once more. "Let's not be so hasty to draw the final curtain on this performance. Daryan, how long does it take to to walk from the that area of the prison to death row."

"How long?" he repeated. "I'd say a couple minutes--five tops."

"Exactly." Klavier added. "Who's to say he didn't do the deed before going to death row? He had plenty of time."

"Objection!" Mark Anthony countered. "It seems you've forgotten the vital evidence here: the surveillance tape! Once it's been played, you'll see for yourself."

"Objection sustained." the judge said, much to the defense attorney's relief. "Let's see what this surveillance tape has to say." When the tape was played, everyone saw what looked like Mr. Hawthorne running down the hall. The time stamp matched the witness's testimony. shortly after turning a corner, two gunshots rang out. This was where the tape was stopped.

"Interestingly, one must pass my brother's cell to access the death row area of the prison." Klavier remarked. "It would appear I owe you a bit of thanks, Herr Anthony. I now know how Herr Hawthorne intended to use my next witness as an alibi."

"What?!" Mark Anthony exclaimed in surprise.

"When you hear what he has to say, you'll understand what I'm talking about." Klavier replied as Daryan left the witness stand. "I call in my next witness...!" When Mark Anthony saw his face, only one name came to mind. This new witness had snowy-white hair and wore a silver mask that covered his eyes. The mask itself was adorned with three red lines that ran horizontally across them.

"Wait a minute!" the judge exclaimed, having recognized him right away. "Godot?!"

"It's a pleasure to see you as well, Your Honor." the man replied as he flashed a smile. "And my name is Diego Armando."

---

End Chapter 3. Sorry for the delay, everyone. If you look at my Fictionpress profile, you'll see this is one of THREE stories being updated to Chapter 3. This one had to be re-written when my Beta Reader noticed I set much of the story in first person. Everyone's favorite coffee aficionado is the other witness, yes?

I wanted to use someone who didn't have anything personal against Phoenix or Apollo and of the choices (the other two being Alita Tiala from AJ and Acro from JFA) didn't have a connection to anyone involved in the case. I also didn't want to use an OC since I'm already using three (excluding Stephen and Judith) and using any more would probably take too much from the fanfic.

Next chapter is the rest of Mark Anthony and Klavier's trial before we move on to Apollo and Lana's trial. I know I said I was doing each trial in a single chapter but for the sake of consistency you're going to have to wait a bit longer for the other trial. I expect Chapter 4 of this story, my Trauma Center fic AND my World of Warcraft fic to be up sometime early next week.


	5. Chapter 4: Justice is Best Served BLACK

Turnabout Attorneys

By: Brendan Aurabolt

Category: Phoenix Wright/Apollo Justice

Rated: T

A/N: I hope no one takes the title of this chapter out of context but it's in referral to the second witness introduced at the end of the previous chapter. I know this little disclaimer doesn't mean much but I'm just covering my ass to be safe.

I'm also going to condense the other trial into this one. This is my way of apologizing for the wait but as noted in my profile, I have some...issues with the people who run this site .;

_XxX_

_Chapter 4: Justice is best served BLACK_

_XxX  
_

_March 15_

_Los Angeles District Courthouse: Room No. 1_

_11:45AM_

Mark Anthony felt a chill go down his spine at the sight of Klavier's surprise witness. Dahlia Hawthorne poisoned him in an attempt to silence him and until he woke from a coma, her plan had succeeded. The poison that nearly killed him turned his hair white and left him partially color blind-a handicap that ultimately led to him pleading guilty of manslaughter in that case eight years ago. Mark Anthony had little doubt Diego would do anything in his power to make sure the father and ex-husband of the two women who ruined the lives of so many people would never see the light of day.

"Antonio...at last we meet." Diego said as the two locked eyes. "Having played the role of Defense Attorney and Prosecutor, I'd say your chances of winning against me are the same as my feisty kitten coming back from the dead: Zero."

"You're not the one on trial here, Mr. Armando." Mark pointed out as he glared at Klavier. "It seems I'm going to have to pull a Phoenix Wright now that the big guns have been called in."

"Phoenix Wright? Ha ha ha ha ha ha!" Klavier laughed. "A relic from an era long past. His protege may have fine-tuned his techniques in the courtroom but you are not even worth being called an imitation, Herr Anthony!"

"You'll be eating your words after my client is acquitted." Mark Anthony countered. "Mr. Armando, your testimony!"

"Hey, wait a minute!" The Judge exclaimed. "Don't forget I'm the one officiating this trial. I'm the leader. I'm the one who'll say when Mr. Armando is to give his testimony."

"Damned right." Diego remarked as he wrapped his fingers around the coffee mug place in front of him.

"Mr. Armando, your testimony!" The Judge roared. "Now!" The coffee aficionado spat out the contents of his mug in surprise at the Judge's outburst but nodded in acknowledgment.

"March 13 is a special date for Steven Hawthorne and I." Diego began as he recalled the events of the day of the murder. "When I learned Mr. Hawthorne planned to attend his old lady's execution, I asked him to meet me outside Death Row a few minutes early so we could chat about something. There was something about our separate dealings with his wife's family I wanted answers to. When he arrived at 8:15PM, he looked guilty...er?"

The courtroom grew silent after Diego finished his testimony. Amazingly, both Klavier and Mark Anthony saw information they could use to help their side of the case. "Just out of curiosity Herr Armando...was 8:15PM the time you agreed upon?" Klavier asked.

"Not really." he replied as he drank from his coffee mug and then shook his head disapprovingly at its bitter taste. "Just a few minutes before the execution was to begin."

"...I see." Klavier said as he pushed several strands of hair out of his face. "...The prosecution rests."

"Wha...?" Daryan exclaimed in surprise.

"You're kidding!" Mark exclaimed in equal surprise. _Is this for real? Is Klavier really giving up?_

"While I am perplexed at this sudden change of events, I am interested in seeing what the defense has in store." The Judge remarked thoughtfully. "Mr. Toss, you may begin the Cross-Examination."

"Mr. Armando, I have a question for you." Mark Anthony said as he produced the surveillance tape for all to see. "Have you ever seen this before?"

"Of course." he replied without looking up. "I'm the one who gave it to the warden."

"WHAT?" Klavier exclaimed in shock. "T-That's...!"

"Evidence that shouldn't exist!" Daryan finished despite himself.

"If you would for the court Mr. Armando...how did you happen to find the tape where you did?" Mark Anthony pressed. Everyone leaned in close to hear his answer. He said it so quietly, only Mark Anthony had heard him.

"...I'm sorry, but could you repeat that?" The Judge asked.

"I said, 'the Yatagarasu placed it there'." he replied but loud enough for all to hear. Hearing that name caused such an uproar, the Judge was forced to call a ten minute recess.

_March 15_

_Los Angeles District Courthouse: Defendant Lobby No. 1_

_12:05PM_

"Now that's a twist even I didn't see coming!" Mark exclaimed as he and Steven sat in the Defendant Lobby waiting for court to reconvene. "The Yatagarasu...if what he said is true, they're back!"

"Who or What is the Yatagarasu?" Steven asked.

"The Yatagarasu...until a decade ago their identity was shrouded in mystery." Mark began. "Miles Edgeworth got himself involved in a major international smuggling ring eight years ago. During that time, he unmasked and allied with the Yatagarasu to bring the members of the smuggling ring to justice. Since then it's be revealed the Yatagarasu isn't a single person as originally believed but actually three people with a background in a different area of Law Enforcement. Their day jobs are different but their collective purpose is the same: To do expose the truth in ways only their combined efforts can do."

At that moment, there was a knock on the door. Both men looked up to see the bailiff peek in. "The Judge is ready to deliver the verdict and wants to see both of you." he said before leaving. Both men were speechless as this could only mean one of two things.

"Might as well get this over with." Mark said as they rose.

_March 15_

_Los Angeles District Courthouse: Room No. 1_

_12:10PM_

As everyone returned to their places in the courtroom, Mark Anthony noticed only Klavier, Diego, Steven, the bailiffs and The Judge were present. If the audience had been dismissed from the courtroom, this had to be serious. "Now that everyone's here, I have a few words that need to be said only to you." The Judge began. "Before I give my verdict Mr. Toss, how much do you know of the Yatagarasu?"

"Just about everything there is to know about them." he replied and then added "As well as the identities of the current Yatagarasu."

"How...?" Klavier asked before stopping himself. "Nevermind, I don't even want to know."

"How _do_ you know the identity of the Yatagarasu?" The Judge asked.

"That's easy." Mark replied as he took a card from his pocket and held it up for all to see. "I'm one of them." Everyone including Diego looked at the young defense attorney in stunned silence. Of the most outrageous statements said today, this one undoubtedly topped them all. Unfortunately for them, he provided concrete evidence to support it.

"...Very well." The Judge finally said. "Believe it or not, the verdict I'm about to announce has absolutely nothing to do with the Yatagarasu. I asked if you knew of them because very few outside the involved are aware they're an active presence in bringing the corrupt to justice."

"Of course." Mark replied with a nod. "None can hide the truth where the Yatagarasu is concerned. That's what I meant when I said earlier I'm going to pull a Phoenix Wright. That guy and his protege...they always seemed to be able to turn an entire case upside down when it seemed uncovering the truth would be impossible."

"Yes, quite." The Judge remarked thoughtfully. "But first, let's get to this trial. In the trial of State v. Hawthorne, I find the Defendant _**Not Guilty**_!" With the bang of the gavel, the verdict was officially recorded. "In addition Mr. Armando, your case will be examined per the terms of your subpoena to testify in this matter. That is all."

_March 15_

_Los Angeles District Courthouse: Defendant Lobby No. 1_

_12:30PM_

"I can't believe you pulled that off!" Steven exclaimed in amazement.

"It's a damned shame this case has no bearing on your current sentence-anymore." Mark Anthony replied thoughtfully. "Still...that was a close one. That's the first time anyone invoked the name of the Yatagarasu in a courtroom in years. Even though your trial is over, this case is far from being solved. I wonder if _she_ is involved...?"

At that moment, the door opened. In strode Klavier, who didn't seem to mind being in the presence of the Defense Attorney who created such an uproar only a few minutes earlier. "I have to admit I was impressed with your performance, Herr Anthony." he said as he closed the door behind him. "You may have brought this trial to a speedy conclusion but the case is far from over."

"I was just thinking the same thing, actually." Mark replied. "Now that my client's off the hook, the Yatagarasu can play a more active role in the murder investigations. My counterparts will make their move once I've let them know Hawthorne was acquitted."

"I see...so you've been following the investigations from the beginning." Klavier said as he thought to himself. "Achung! I hate it when cases end up like this! It's just like when Herr Forehead was the Defense Attorney!"

"I don't know much about that but I doubt I'll be defending the people involved in the murders." Mark replied. "Now that I think of it, I'd better make two phone calls. I'll leave my client's return to prison to you Klavier. The people I need to talk to are vital to the investigations." Just as Mark stepped out of the room he saw the courtroom across the hall emptying. Unlike his, it was obvious the trial was far from over. And then he spotted a pair of familiar faces emerge from the courtroom.

"Apollo Justice?" he said, to which the young attorney looked up in surprise. The woman standing next to him was equally surprised as Mark walked over to them. "I'm Mark Anthony Toss. I was the defense attorney in the other murder trial this morning."

"Y-You?" Justice exclaimed in surprise. "How did it go?"

"Full acquittal." Mark replied, ignoring the shocked expression of Apollo's companion.

"Full-wasn't Klavier Gavin the Prosecutor?" Apollo asked to make sure he heard right. "Every time I faced him, the trial would last two or more days! You're telling me you got an acquittal in one morning?"

"Well, my client really was innocent." the attorney replied dismissively. "Plus I had an unlikely alibi in a certain coffee aficionado. You're...Franziska von Karma, right? How's it feel being on the other side of the bench?"

"You watch your mouth!" she spat as she gripped the whip in her hand. Apollo hit the floor in anticipation yet nothing happened. Relived, he quickly scrambled to his feet. "Besides, I figure if one of the Yatagarasu is involved, the truth will be revealed in time."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Mark replied Of course, he knew Franziska knew of the Yatagarasu. He did not know what her attorney knew of them and thus he decided to change the subject. "I heard Ema's sister was going to be making her return to prosecuting in town. How did things go on your end?"

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you." Apollo replied as he remembered how things went.

"My cover as a member of a top-secret organization was blown in the courtroom." Mark offered. "Try me."

_March 15_

_Los Angeles District Courthouse: Defendant Lobby No. 2_

_9:15AM_

"This is it." Apollo said as Franziska was led to the Defendant's table. He'd spent much of the morning reviewing what information he could get on the prosecutor, Lana Skye. She'd been imprisoned for her involvement in the largest police corruption scandal in L.A. history. After she was released, she found work prosecuting in San Francisco. Of course, she was also the older sister of Detective Ema Skye.

"All rise!" The Bailiff shouted as the Judge entered the room. Apollo was more than a little nervous at the prospect of not having the Judge he'd grown accustomed to presiding over the trial. At the same time he was relieved-he'd heard this judge was more competent than the other.

"Court is now in session for the trial of State v. von Karma...von Karma?" said the Judge as he looked at Franziska in surprise. "Franziska von Karma, you were the last person I expected to see here! I don't know what I think about that."

"Neither do I." she replied as she looked away. "Let's just get this over with."

"Very well," The Judge replied as he looked at Apollo and then Lana. "Are the prosecution and the defense ready?"

"The defense is ready, Your Honor." Apollo replied with a nod.

"The prosecution...is ready as well." said Lana as she shot Apollo a look he didn't notice.

"It's been a long time, Ms. Skye." The Judge remarked when he saw her. "It's a shame you and your sister we caught up in that unfortunate scandal ten years ago. It's good to see your return to the courtroom, I'll tell you that!"

"So I've been hearing." she replied. "I can assure you the time in prison helped me realize what's truly important to me: My sister and faith in my own skills as a prosecutor. Once we get started, you'll see for yourself."

"I can hardly wait." The Judge replied with a laugh as he returned his attention to Apollo. "I've heard great things aboot you from me brother, Mr. Justice. He be presidin' o'er the the trial across the hall right now. How does the defense plead?"

"Not Guilty, Your Honor." Apollo replied. Perhaps out of habit, Franziska laughed.

"Sorry...old habit and all." she said. "It's not as funny when you're the one on trial."

"Believe me, I know the feeling." Lana remarked. Apollo caught the emotion in her words. It was obvious she was still thinking of all she lost for what she'd done those years ago. He was determined to make sure that in this case, Franziska would not suffer a similar fate.

_March 15_

_Los Angeles District Courthouse: Defendant Lobby No. 1_

_12:45PM_

"...And that's what happened." Apollo said upon finishing his story. All things considered, Mark took it well. The part that nagged him was the de Killer calling card. Last he heard, the de Killer Syndicate had been making the conscious effort to avoid Los Angeles after the Engarde case. If they were involved, someone most have paid them a large sum in advance.

"Mr. Toss?" Franziska said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"Sorry about that." he replied. "I just remembered I needed to make an important phone call. Tell Phoenix Wright I'll be paying him a visit in a few days." Without another word, he turned and walked down the hall and disappeared into the crowd.

"What was that all about?" Apollo asked.

"He's hiding something." Franziska said as her eyes narrowed. "The way he reacted when you told him about the proceedings...weren't you paying attention?"

"Now that you mention it, it looked like he might know something about our case." the younger attorney remarked thoughtfully. "So what's this...Yata-whatever it's called?" Apollo found himself getting whipped for an answer.

"Not what, you foolish fool!" she snapped. "Who. Talk to my husband. He'll be able to tell you everything you want to know."

* * *

End Chapter 4.

I make no excuses for making you wait almost a year for this chapter. I'm sorry, alright? Anyway I'm back. As you can tell from how I chose to do this chapter, I'm incorporating elements from Ace Attorney Investigations into the story.

At the end of AAI it's implied Kay decides to revive the Yatagarasu as it once was. According to AAI each member is a defense attorney, a prosecutor and a detective. Of course Kay is none of the above so she's what I like to call a special exception. Don't worry, I'll explain Mark Anthony's involvement with the secret society at some point.

Chapter 5 coming SOON.


	6. Chapter 5: Question Beget More Questions

Turnabout Attorneys

By: Brendan Aurabolt

Category: Phoenix Wright/Apollo Justice

Rated: T

_XxX_

_Chapter 5: Questions beget more Questions_

_XxX  
_

_March 16_

_Kurain Village: Fey Manor_

_11:30AM_

The next day, Phoenix and Iris decided to visit Maya and Pearl again. Apollo was busy with his case and Trucy was rehearsing for a show at the Borscht Bowl Club. As Pearl poured tea for everyone, Phoenix couldn't help think about the boy he met the day before with the same name as him. He couldn't help but wonder if it was more than just a coincidence. Then he remembered the seven Black Psyche Locks that appeared when he asked Maya about it before. The more he thought about it, the more curious he became.

"So, how have you been adjusting?" Maya asked. "I'd heard you were out of the courtroom for almost a decade."

"I haven't had a case since I was reinstated as an attorney." he replied. "Even though the Misham Case restored my status as an attorney, Apollo's been getting all the calls these days. As much as I hate to admit it, maybe I should just retire for good."

"Is that what you want to do?" Iris asked.

"Well I am a bit rusty." he admitted. "I've taught Apollo almost everything I know and I'm a bit too old to try to reinvent myself. Besides...everything I know about law I learned from _her_. I want to be there for Apollo in the way she couldn't be there for me."

"Her...you mean Mystic Mia." Iris noted. "What do you think she'd want you to do?"

"I'll tell you what I think you should do." they heard a familiar voice say. It was a voice Phoenix hadn't heard in in eight years. He looked in Maya's direction to see that he was no longer looking at Maya but her older sister, Mia. It seems Maya decided to call upon the spirit of Phoenix's one-time mentor for some advice.

"Mystic Mia!" Iris exclaimed in surprise.

"I know you've been through a lot these last eight years but you're still too young to be having a mid-life crisis, Phoenix." She said as she sat next to him. "Or...is there some other reason you're suddenly unsure of yourself?"

"It's complicated." he admitted after a long pause. "I wish you were being channeled by Pearl right now because I want Maya to hear me out, too."

"I'm ok with that." said Pearl as she smiled. Mia left Maya's body and entered Pearl a moment later.

"Now we're all here." Mia said. "Let's hear it."

"The truth of the matter is...I'm in love with two women." he said. This certainly got their attention. "To pick one would make the other sad. The problem is I've promised both of them I'd be with them forever. They were at two different times but I never forget a promise."

"I see." said Mia, impressed he had the guts to pour his heart out in front of Iris and Maya. "I assume you're referring to Iris and Maya?"

"Yes." he said as he looked at them in turn. "I know you both want me to choose now but I just can't do that. I need some more time to decide."

"Phoenix, I'd never make you do something like that!" Maya exclaimed. "Besides, I've already accepted the fact things would be different after all these years. I'm sure Iris needs you more than me right now anyway."

"I would feel horrible if he chose me because of that!" Iris replied. "In fact, I fear he might come to hate me over it. I admit I was hoping we'd be able to settle down together but if he's promised his heart to another I won't get in the way."

"I had a feeling you'd both say that." Mia remarked thoughtfully. "They're certainly not making this easy for you, Phoenix. Then again, love rarely is."

"You're telling me." he said as he looked nervously at them. "Not to change the subject or anything but I have some news about one of the cases that went to trial yesterday."

"How did it go?" Maya asked.

"I can't say too much but uh...let's just say it ended with an acquittal." he said to the Fey sisters, motioning in Iris' direction.

"Ah, I see." Iris said as she stood, turned around and covered her ears. Not wanting to take any chances, the three dropped their voices to a whisper.

"You're referring to her father's trial." said Mia. "I heard about it on the news this morning. She still doesn't know about him does he?"

"No, she doesn't. Phoenix replied sadly. "I didn't have the heart to tell her about it. I do plan on telling her soon, though."

"The sooner the better." Maya pointed out. "You found out from our family what waiting too long could do." Poor Maya. In the same day she had her mother back, she lost her the same day eight years ago.

"What about Edgeworth?" Maya asked. "How's he holding up?"

"A little better but it's still raw for him." Phoenix replied as turned to Iris. "We're done with the secret stuff, now. You can join us again." She smiled and sat down again.

"We were just talking about the Edgeworth/von Karma case." Mia explained to Iris. "He must be having it rough right now."

"I feel bad for everyone involved." said Maya. "Even if Franziska is innocent, they still have to deal with the fact their child is dead. If something happened to Nick, I...I don't think my heart could take endure the heartache again."

"Again?" Wright asked as he unconsciously gripped the Magatama Pearl gave him earlier. "What do you mean?" Right on cue, the seven Black Psyche Locks appeared before him. Clearly she had no intention of giving up anything about Nick's past to him.

"It's nothing." she replied absently. "Forget I said anything."

"So Phoenix, why don't you tell us more about the club where you perform?" Mia asked him. Phoenix couldn't tell if she knew as well or if she was just being a big sister. If he had to guess, it was probably a little of both. The only way to know would be to ask Mia directly and to do that, it would probably be best to ask why Maya was channeling her and he could wait to do that.

"Sure, I guess." he replied, deciding to play along for now. "So it goes like this..."

_March 16_

_Wright & Co. Law Offices_

_1:45PM_

Apollo yawned as he finished reviewing the information gained from yesterday's trial. Unlike the Hawthorne case, his was a hard read. Of course he believed Franziska was innocent but all of the circumstantial evidence Lana threw at him was kicking his ass. He rose to make a cup of coffee when a visitor entered the office. To his surprise it was the attorney he met at the courthouse.

"Why hello there, Mr. Justice." Mark said as he walked over to him. "Is Mr. Wright in?"

"I'm afraid he's out of town until this evening." Apollo replied. "He's visiting some old friends of his from back in the day."

"Oh, I see." he remarked thoughtfully. "I can see you're pretty stressed out from your case so I'll come back at another time. Just time Mr. Wright I came by."

"Hold on, wait a minute!" Apollo exclaimed suddenly.

"Yes?" Mark said as he turned around in surprise.

"I was wondering if...oh, nevermind." The young attorney replied.

"You want to know about the Yatagarasu, I take it?" Mark offered, which made Apollo look at him in surprise.

"How did you know?" he asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" he pointed out. "Not that I'm surprised or anything. Since it might be beneficial to your case, I don't mind talking to you about it. Just not right now. I actually need to go over to the Prosecutor's Office. Me and another member are supposed to be meeting with Edgeworth in a little while."

"That remind me!" Apollo explained. "I'm supposed to meet with him in fifteen minutes!"

"Come on, I'll drive you over then." he offered.

_March 16_

_Prosecutor Offices: Miles Edgeworth's Office_

_2:00PM_

"...And that's where things stand now." Edgeworth finished, having told his story to his visitor.

"That's terrible!" his guest exclaimed. "I wish I'd come sooner, Miles. Hey, why don't I drop by your place later? With Little Thief, maybe we could-"

"Not this time." Edgeworth cut in. "I was there myself. Unlike that other case, things are far too hazy for Little Thief to be of any use to us. I appreciate the enthusiasm though, Kay."

"I see your point." Kay replied sadly. "What about you, though? You sure you can make it through this?"

"It's not like I have a choice." he pointed out. "Franziska is still my wife and she's also pregnant. If she's found guilty, I'll have to raise our child alone."

"Don't say things like that!" Kay snapped at him. "You know I'll help you if you just asked me! I want to help you!" At this, Edgeworth threw his head back and laughed.

"Heh, it seems I've forgotten I still owe you from before." he remarked. "Very well. If it comes to it, I'll accept your help."

"Good." she said as she smiled. "Now that we have that settled, let's talk about this protege of your rival's."

"We're going to be meeting in a few minutes." Edgeworth noted. "If you stick around, perhaps you'll get to meet him." As if on cue, there was a knock on the door. The rapid triple knock told both of them exactly who it was.

"Come in, Mark." Kay said in response. To their surprise, Mark wasn't alone.

"Oh, you already have company." Apollo said when he noticed Kay.

"It's quite alright Mr. Justice." Edgeworth replied. "We were just talking about you, actually."

"So this is the famous Ace Attorney I've been hearing about." Kay said as she walked over to him. "I've heard a lot about you from Mr. Edgeworth."

"Apollo Justice." Apollo introduced, shaking her hand.

"And I'm Kay Faraday!" she replied enthusiastically.

"Apollo had some questions about the Yatagarasu, Kay." Mark explained. "I thought it would be best if he spoke to both of us at the same time."

"I see." she said thoughtfully. "Hmm...even thought he's not here, I guess it's ok."

"Who?" Apollo asked.

"The third member, of course." Mark replied as he smiled.

"Now that everyone's been introduced, why don't we get down to business?" Edgeworth proposed as mark and Apollo sat down. "Now Mr. Justice, what would you like to know first?"

XxX

End Chapter 5.

I had some stuff I wanted to do in this chapter obviously. The third member of the Yatagarasu is someone who hasn't been introduced yet.

Now since this is currently my most popular story, I can make requests of the reviewer. Please check out some of my other stories while you patiently await the next chapter. It would make me a very happy man. Four new stories are coming soon so check out my profile for more on that. Before I let you go, I do have a multiple choice question to ask.

Which of the following would you like to see happen next?

learns how to break the Black Psyche Locks

B. The Third Yatagarasu Member is introduced.

C. Pearl falls in love with Apollo

D. de Killer strikes again

Don't worry, I'm going to do all of them eventually. Just vote for the one you want FIRST!


	7. Chapter 6: Cooler Heads Prevail

Turnabout Attorneys

By: Brendan Aurabolt

Category: Phoenix Wright/Apollo Justice

Rated: T

A/N: Alright, majority rules.

As a matter of disclosure, C was originally "Trucy, Iris and Apollo learn Nick and Maya's secret past from Pearl". I changed it to a more popular option because that would have been WAY too soon.

I'll hold off one more chapter before I tell you which you're getting first for sure. Well, that and there's currently a tie between Option B and Option C (figures). You'll get everything listed at the end of the last chapter either way.

~B.A.

_XxX_

_Chapter 6: Cooler Heads Prevail_

_XxX  
_

_March 16_

_Prosecutor Offices: Miles Edgeworth's Office_

_2:05PM_

"I want to know what they're about." Apollo said to Edgeworth. "I've been hearing about them in whispers but if Edgeworth approves of them then they're not bad guys, I guess."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." said Mark as he and Edgeworth. "Though, it is true it wasn't until Kay took over we were accepted by Law Enforcement and the Court System."

"Until eight years ago, the Yatagarasu was made up of a trio of people representing three different branches of law: a Detective, a Prosecutor and a Defense Attorney." Kay explained. "My father was one of the founding members. Years earlier, on the day of what was supposed to have been Miles Edgeworth's first trial, there was an incident at the courthouse and my father was killed. A smuggling ring had infiltrated the Yatagarasu in the hopes of bringing it down. What they didn't count on was the most persistent prosecutor in Los Angeles taking them on."

"I wouldn't exactly say I took them on." Edgeworth remarked. "It just sort of happened that way."

"The Yatagarasu specializes in exposing the truth, you see." Mark continued. "No matter how dirty it may be, if there is injustice we will use any means necessary to bring it to light. That's why we were targeted in the past."

"I see...so that's why you probably don't want anyone to know who you guys are." Apollo remarked.

"I wouldn't say that much." Kay replied. "When we're working in Los Angeles, we don't like to be seen together. All of us are known to the police and the prosecutor's office. Even though he's retired now, Marvin Grossberg knows of us too. In this town, people pick up on things. You can understand the inconvenience it could cause if people found out we were investigating someone."

"I see." said Apollo. "So I take it Edgeworth is your contact in the Prosecutor's Office?"

"He's more of a big brother to me actually." she replied as she smiled. "When I heard about what happened, I came back to offer my assistance."

"Wait...does that mean you're investigating the case?" Apollo asked in surprise.

"Not exactly." Mark replied. "You remember what I told you about the Gavin Case, right? Just because my client was cleared murder doesn't mean the case is closed. It just doesn't seem right. On top of that, why is the de Killer Syndicate involved? It doesn't make any sense..."

"I've heard of them." said Apollo. "Mr. Wright was involved in case where Maya Fey was kidnapped to blackmail him into getting Matt Engarde innocent of murder."

"You've done your homework." said Edgeworth. "I'm impressed. That was the case that brought me back to the States. Franziska had been shot by de Killer and I was asked to take her place as Prosecutor for the rest of the trial. Engarde was eventually found guilty and Ms. Fey was rescued but de Killer himself escaped. I had another run-in with him a few years ago but he slipped away again."

"At the very least, there will be another trial in the death of Kristoph Gavin." Mark noted. "If there is, I was hoping I could ask you to be the prosecutor Mr. Edgeworth."

"Me?" he asked in surprise. "I thought Gavin was going to handle the case?"

"The only reason I let him prosecute in that trial was because I planned everything in advance." he replied with a shrug. "I doubt I'd be able to pull that off again and I'm sure you could use the distraction."

"I see." Edgeworth said after a long pause. "Very well. I'll talk to him about it when I go to the precinct later today. Now that we have that settled, did you have any other questions for us Mr. Justice?"

"I do have one question I've been meaning to ask you since I we met." Apollo said as he smiled. "If given the chance, how would you feel about facing Phoenix Wright in the courtroom again?"

"That's a good question, actually." said Mark.

"I want to know, too!" Kay exclaimed.

"Truth be told, when I heard Wright had been reinstated I was thinking about that." The King of Prosecutors began. "People have been saying we're the best at our respective jobs—no offense to you two, Franziska and Gavin, of course—and if given the opportunity, I-" At that moment door burst open and Maggey Bryde came in.

"Please excuse the interruption, sir but there's something you need to see!" she exclaimed as she turned on the TV.

"_We're live at the Gatewater Hotel, which is the site of a hostage standoff."_ said the reporter. _"A gunman is holed up in a room on the third floor with four hostages. We've just been informed Steel Samurai TV star Will Powers is one of the hostages."_

"WHAT!" Edgeworth exclaimed in surprise.

"_Two of the other hostages have been identified as Wendy Oldbag, a security guard and Lotta Hart, a freelance journalist."_ The reporter continued. _"What's that? Yes...this just in: The fourth hostage is...artist Vera Misham!"_

"WHAT?" Apollo exclaimed in surprise.

"This is serious." said Mark as they watched the scene unfold. "Wait, isn't that hotel across from Wright & Co.?"

"It is." said Edgeworth as he grabbed his coat. "We need to get down there at once."

_March 16_

_Gatewater Hotel: Entrance_

_3:20PM_

When they arrived, Gumshoe, Klavier Gavin and Emma Skye were already there. Seeing them, Gumshoe waved them through the crowd. "What's the situation?" Edgeworth asked.

"The Classic Random I'm afraid, Herr Edgeworth." Gavin replied. "The suspect just so happens to be an old friend, Herr Forehead: Wocky Kitaki."

"W-What!" Apollo exclaimed in surprise. "Why'd it have to be _him_...?"

"I know you're busy with a case right now and I doubt your mentor would be interested in defending him, either." Gavin remarked. "If he's lucky, he'll only get five years for this."

"Someone you know?" Kay asked.

"I defended him in a murder case last year." Apollo explained. "He wanted to take the fall even though it was his girlfriend who did the crime. She would have gotten away with it if I didn't get her to confess in court."

"Well this time, he'll get what he's looking for." Edgeworth remarked thoughtfully. "I'm sure the entire nation is watching the news seeing as a movie star is one of the hostages." At that moment, Apollo's cellphone rang. No surprisingly, it was Trucy.

"Apollo, are you watching the news?" she asked. "There's a hostage crisis across the street!"

"Yeah, I know." he replied. "I'm there, now."

"You are?" she asked in surprise. "Oh...then I take it Klavier's there, too?"

"And Mr. Edgeworth." he added.

"Prosecutor Edgeworth!" she exclaimed in surprise. "The same one Daddy faced in court all those times? That's so cool!"

"Listen Trucy, I'm gonna need to call you back." Apollo said before she could get carried away.

"Apollo, wait!" Trucy exclaimed. "I can see the suspect from here!"

"What did you say?" he asked in surprise.

"I'm serious!" she replied. "And it looks like someone we know."

"Move away from the window, Trucy!" he exclaimed as he turned to leave. "I'll be there in a few minutes!"

"What happened?" Kay asked.

"That was Mr. Wright's daughter Trucy." Apollo explained. "She can see Wocky from the office. I'm going over there!"

"I'll come with you." said Edgeworth as he turned to Klavier. "I'll leave things down here to you."

"Of course." he replied as he waved them off. "Let's say whoever resolves this first gets to prosecute him."

"You're on." Edgeworth replied as he followed Apollo.

"Hey, wait up sir!" Gumshoe exclaimed as he and Kay ran after them.

"That girl...I take it she's the leader of the Yatagarasu?" Klavier asked Mark.

"You're quite perceptive, Gavin." he replied as he smiled. "This might be just the distraction _he's_ been waiting to move on."

"I don't like the way you said that." the blonde said flatly.

"You'll find out soon enough." Mark replied. "You'll find out soon enough."

_March 16_

_Kurain Village: Fey Manor_

_3:45PM_

"What a troubling development." Iris said as they watched the events unfolding on TV. "And that's right across from our offices.

"This brings back some memories I'd like to forget." Maya remarked.

"What memories?" Pearl asked, then realized what she was referring to. "Oh, right."

"I think we should get back there." Phoenix said as he got up. "Chances are good Edgeworth's there already. Will Powers was my first client after Mia died so naturally, I'm worried about him."

"Mind if I come, too?" Pearl asked. "After eight years, I could use the excitement. Plus I want to see Mr. Edgeworth, too."

"It's ok with me." Maya said before Phoenix could ask. "Nick and I will come after things have calmed down some."

"Looks like you're out of excuses, Feenie." Iris said as she smiled.

"Yeah...looks like it." he said as they looked into each others' eyes. Remembering where they were, the stopped before things went any further. "Ok, let's get going!"

XxX

End Chapter 6.

As a reminder, tell me which of the following you would like to see happen next:

A. Wright learns how to break the Black Psyche Locks

B. The Third Yatagarasu Member is introduced.

C. Pearl falls in love with Apollo.

D. de Killer strikes again

I'll be doing ALL of them eventually but this is your last chance to tell me which you want first. In fact, I set this chapter up to ease into at least two of them next chapter. For the sake of clarification, I'll recap Wright's lady problem (LOL!). Of course Iris (as Dahlia) was his first love. Without spoiling anything, Maya and Phoenix have a love child. I haven't yet decided which one he's going to choose. That's why I did Chapter 5 the way I did.

I will say getting together with someone just because you had a kid together isn't enough of a reason to marry them in my opinion. Although Phoenix/Maya is canonically implied, there's enough of those stories around already. Before you Phoenix/Iris fanboys start wetting yourselves, I haven't made up my mind just yet. Having said that, don't hate me if things go the other way.

As for Apollo...let's just say he's going to have a similar problem SOON. Like next chapter. I already told you who one of them is. The first person to correctly guess the other gets a shout out in my next podcast!

Final Note: Chapter 7 will come after Labor Day weekend. I have two Fanfics titled _A Wonderful Life_ to work on. See my profile for details ^_^


	8. Chapter 7: Ace Negotiator

Turnabout Attorneys

By: Brendan Aurabolt

Category: Phoenix Wright/Apollo Justice

Rated: T

A/N: And we're back. Admit it. After seeing my other stories were getting some love you thought I wasn't gonna update this huh? HUH?! Well I'm gonna work on this one for a bit before I close the book on my Ah! My Goddess! Fanfic. Once that's been done I can focus more on the remaining workload.

As an aside: Some of you already know what my race is but for the sake of not being ghetto just to make Wocky ghetto, you'll be getting "clean" dialogue regarding him. The main reason for that is it's been a while since the last chapter and I don't want to make waves...yet.

XxX

_Chapter 7: Ace Negotiator_

_XxX  
_

_March 16_

_Wright & Co. Law Offices_

_3:30PM_

"Apollo!" Trucy exclaimed as he, Edgeworth, Gumshoe and Kay burst into Wright & Co. They ran into Wright's office and threw open the window. Staring back at them was Wocky Kitaki, who was brandishing a shotgun.

"I ain't talkin'!" he roared. "Unless one of you is a lawyer, you're not gettin' a word from these lips!"

"Wocky, calm down!" Apollo exclaimed. "Your parents must be worried sick about you. Do you have any idea how much trouble you're in?"

"Oh, snaps!" Wocky exclaimed in surprise, recognizing Apollo. "Apollo Justice?! What are YOU doin' over there?"

"I work here!" Apollo shot back. "What the heck are you doing taking hostages in the Gatewater?! Why are you doing this?!"

"Workin' on my rep, homie!" he shot back. "Me and my man are gonna be the most famous O.G.s in L.A.! Peep this! People are gonna be talkin' about Young Wocky, the REAL Gangsta! Rappers just talk about it but I'm actually doin' it!"

"We have the hotel surrounded!" Gumshoe roared. "If you do anything to those hostages, you'll wish you didn't!"

"My main man said no one would think I was serious unless someone's life was on the line." Wocky shot back. "Tell the pigs to back off! My man's got the lobby rigged to blow! Anyone who tries to get in paints the sidewalk!"

"What the hell...?" Edgeworth swore. "What in God's name is WRONG with you?! This isn't some silly playground game! This is real life!"

"Damned straight!" Wocky shock back. He disappeared momentarily and returned with someone at gunpoint. Edgeworth felt his face redden when he saw who it was while Kay could only look on, equally surprised. The old, wrinkled face and short, silver-white hair. It could only be one person.

"Unhand me this instant you uncouth—EDGYPOO!" the shrill voice of Wendy Oldbag cut through the air. Her mood did a complete reversal upon seeing Miles Edgeworth staring back at her in surprise. "I always knew I'd see you again! You've come to rescue me, haven't you?"

"As a matter of fact I, uh...yes, I did." Edgeworth replied, making no effort to hide how awkward he was feeling. He could only imagine how much Klavier and Emma were enjoying this from the street below. He considered himself thankful Wright wasn't around to witness this.

"Looks like I have no choice, now." Kay said as she took a cellphone from her pocket and dialed a number. "Joan of Arc here. Slight change of plan. The infiltrator has booby-trapped your exit. Disarm the traps for extraction! Repeat: Disarm for extraction!"

"Who was that?" Trucy asked her.

"I have a man inside." she explained. "He was inside on an unrelated mission in the hotel when all this happened. He can disarm the bombs on the first floor but this second person Wocky mentioned has me worried. It looks like he's not in the room, either."

"Apollo, see if you can get him to talk." Trucy suddenly said.

"Wha...?" he said in surprise.

"Wocky did say he'd only talk to a layer, right?' she proposed. "If you talk to him, maybe you can get him to tell us who his accomplice is."

"Not a bad idea." Edgeworth commented. "At the very least, it could buy our ally on the inside time to disarm the explosives in the lobby."

"Skye has the perimeter secured." Gumshoe noted. "No matter how you look at it, the suspects have nowhere to run. All we can do is hope we can keep 'em from hurting the hostages."

"Come on, Mr. Justice." said Kay. "This is your chance to shine. If you pull it off, you'll be a hero!"

"A hero..." he whispered. While he didn't exactly enjoy defending Wocky Kitaki last year, this time lives were on the line. As the voice of reason, if he could do something...anything...

"I'll do it." Apollo declared. "But on one condition."

"What's that?" Trucy asked.

"That I don't have to defend him in court!" he exclaimed. There was brief silence. "What?"

"I doubt even Mark would want to get anywhere NEAR this guy." Kay replied, shrugging. "Any objections?"

"None, but I would be more than happy to be the one who prosecutes him." said Edgeworth.

"I second that!" Gumshoe exclaimed.

"Trucy, grab his case file for me." Apollo said.

"Sure, but why?" she asked.

"I'm pretty sure there's some things in there that'll come in handy." he replied, grinning. "While you're at it, bring me everything related to the Gatewater Hotel in Mr. Wright's case files."

"You got it!" Trucy exclaimed before dashing out of the room. Apollo reached into his pocket and removed the Magatama he received at the Fey Manor. He looked from the charm to his bracelet and sighed.

"Looks like this will be a good chance to test both at the same time." he remarked as he gazed at the hotel across the street.

_March 16_

_Eldoon Stand: A Block from Wright & Co._

_4:00PM_

"This is as far as I can take ya." The taxi driver said to Phoenix. "The cops have the street you want blocked off."

"That's fine." Wright replied, paying the fare. "I'm an attorney. We'll walk the rest of the way." They'd been lucky and reached the train station just in time to catch the next train back to town. Wright knew things were going to be tough but he had no idea it was going to be _this_ tough.

"Looks like things are still at a standstill." the three turned to see Guy Eldoon packing up his noodle stand. "I saw your partner not long ago, Mr. Wright. Some kind of trouble at the Gatewater again. Can you believe it?"

"Unfortunately, yeah I can." he replied, turning to Iris and Pearl. "Since we're here, did either of you want to grab a bowl? Eldoon makes the best noodles in the city."

"Maybe later, Phoenix." a voice Wright hadn't heard in almost ten years replied. He turned to Pearl and instead of the petite teenager he was looking at a woman two feet taller. Her endowments and her face matched that of the late Mia Fey but aside from that she looked exactly like Pearl.

"Mia!" Wright exclaimed in surprise.

"Mystic Mia?!" Iris said, equally surprise.

"I think the current crisis is a more pressing matter." Mia said to them. "We can catch up on old times over a bowl of Eldoon's later. That ok with you, good sir?"

"No problem at all, young lady." Eldoon replied, shrugging. "I'm always nearby."

"Excellent." Mia replied. "Now let's get moving." No sooner had they started for the Gatewater than gunshots rang out. The three ran down the street to the front of the hotel where the police and onlookers beheld the body of a youth with two gunshot wounds. Wright recognized him as Wocky Kitaki.

"What the...!" he exclaimed.

"Keep away from the entrance!" a female voice boomed. It belonged to Ema Skye. "SWAT Team, we just got confirmation the bomb has been diffused! Go inside and secure the hostages!"

"What the hell was that?" a new voice asked. Wright turned to see Klavier Gavin, who was just as surprised as everyone else who witnessed the shooting. "Our only known suspect dead. Hmph. I have no choice but to concede to Edgeworth now. Let us hope Herr Forehead and the Yatagarasu are willing to cooperate with the investigation."

"What happened?" Wright asked him.

"Exactly what it looks like, Phoenix Wright." Klavier replied. "Someone in the room shot the suspect. Hopefully Edgeworth and the others were able to get some information out of him before he was killed."

"You're Phoenix Wright?!" a new voice said. The three turned to see a young man approach them with Ema. "My name is Mark Anthony. I'm an attorney. I was hoping I could talk to you about the case you were in that involved Shelly de Killer."

"Why do you want to know about _that_ guy?" Wright asked in surprise.

"This isn't the best place to have this discussion." he replied. "Why don't we talk at your office?"

"Sounds like a good idea." Mia interjected. "I'm going to fill Maya in on what happened. We'll talk again later, Phoenix."

"Hey, wait!" he exclaimed but by then Mia was already gone.

"What's up?" Pearl asked him. "Sorry for not telling you but Mystic Mia wanted to say hi I guess."

"It's okay." Iris replied. "Mystic Mia's going to fill Master Maya in on what's going on."

"Let's go find out what Apollo and Edgeworth know about what happened." Wright said, leading the way to Wright & Co.

_March 16_

_Wright & Co. Law Offices_

_4:15PM_

When Wright and the others arrived he found Apollo, Edgeworth and a young woman talking in his office. "...This definitely confirms they're involved somehow." Apollo said. He stopped when he saw Wright, Mark, Iris and Pearl had arrived.

"Did anyone see who shot him?" Mark asked.

"No, but based on what we overheard his accomplice turned on him." Edgeworth replied. "I sent Detective Gumshoe downstairs to create a distraction so our potential witness can slip past the authorities below."

"Potential witness?" Wright asked. Apollo and Edgeworth exchanged a glance before looking in Pearl and Iris' direction. The older attorney got the hint and was about to dismiss them when Apollo beat him to it.

"Iris, Pearl, could you see if Trucy needs help with anything?" Apollo suddenly asked.

"Of course." Iris replied, nodding in understanding. "Come on, Pearl."

"Hey, wait!" she exclaimed as Iris closed the door behind them.

"Before we tell you what we know, allow me to introduce you to Kay Faraday." Edgeworth said to Wright. "She's the leader of the Yatagarasu. The young man you came with is also one of them. The potential witness I mentioned is the third. Kay was just about to explain why her partner was is the Gatewater when you and Mark arrived. Kay, if you would?"

"As you all know, two murders were committed within an hour of each other." she began. "Based on the evidence recovered at the scene of both murders we believe the de Killer Syndicate may be involved. Our partner was in the Gatewater investigating a tip on a guest who matches that of the man involved in the Engarde case you were involved with, Mr. Wright. The hostage situation erupted just as he was leaving. Based on what Kitaki said before he was shot, there's a good chance his accomplice knows something about the cases, too."

"What did he say?" Mark asked. "I couldn't hear what was going on from the street."

"Well, it went like this." Apollo began. "Kay told me her partner was going to need time to diffuse the bomb in the lobby so I talked to Wocky to hold his attention. When I used the Magatama to find out it was Wocky's accomplice that convinced him to take hostages. Apparently his accomplice was looking for something somewhere else in the hotel during the standoff. Wocky was about to give us the name of his accomplice when he...that's when he was shot!"

"Based on the rather crude description he gave I've little doubt it was the same man who kidnapped Ms. Fey during the Engarde case." Edgeworth added. "If there's anything I learned from that case, it's how unforgiving Shelly de Killer is to those who betray his trust."

"Indeed." said Wright, shuddering as he remembered the great lengths Matt Engarde went to get an acquittal. Luckily for Wright and Maya, the disgraced actor's plans were foiled when Wright and Edgeworth were able to prove to de Killer (via transmitter) that Engarde intended to betray him from the start. Once the betrayal was revealed, Matt plead guilty to avoid becoming de Killer's next target.

"And if de Killer is involved, things are only going to get even more complicated." Kay commented before there was a knock at the door. "Come in." Everyone turned as the door opened to see a tall man with short brown hair enter the room. He was dressed in military fatigues and and wore matching boots. The auburn jacket he wore was half-zipped and revealed the vest bearing various compartments beneath it. The man scanned the faces of everyone in the room, his gaze topping briefly on Apollo and and Wright's. Although he was wearing shades Apollo felt unnerved by his discerning glare.

"Kept you waiting, huh?" he asked as he expressionless face turned into a grin. "That detective's pretty good at making distractions. He'd make a great actor."

"You and me both." Wright and Edgeworth muttered almost in unison.

"Gentlemen, allow me to introduce the third member of the Yatagarasu." Kay said. "This is Ed Ross. He's a mercenary. When I decided to rebuild the Yatagarasu, I thought it would be best if one of the members had some military training. Our friend here has seen his share of combat by the time Mark and I met him. That's why out of the three of us we decided Ed would be the best man for this particular mission."

"What _were_ you looking for, anyway?" Apollo asked, knowing Edgeworth and Wright were interested in knowing the answer to the same question.

"It's ok." Mark said to Ed. "These guys can be trusted."

"Very well." he replied, removing his sunglasses. "Up until now I've been doing much of my work on this mission from the shadows. It's not because I'm shy or anything like that. Given how the previous trilogy was infiltrated and betrayed in this town and the fact that Kay and Mark's faces were known in a few circles, we decided at the very least it would be best if I kept my face a secret. When it comes to the de Killer Syndicate, one wrong move is all it takes to get to the top of their hit list."

"Something I know all too well, but what does this have to do with the Gatewater?" Edgeworth asked, folding his arms across his chest.

"I was just getting to that." Ed replied as he glanced out the window. "As you guys probably know, Will Powers is planning to run for governor next year. Given his ideals support our vision, we've gone out of our way to ensure nothing happens to him between now and election day. You'd be surprised how legalistic the criminal underworld is when it comes to politicians. As long as they don't talk about their bread and butter they could care less. Anyway, we received a tip someone was going to plant bugs in Mr. Powers' room at the Gatewater as well as the banquet hall where he was going to deliver a speech tonight. Coincidentally—or not—the hostage standoff happened."

"And as it turns out, the room Wocky held the hostages in was Mr. Powers' room." Mark added. "If it were Wocky alone I'd call it a coincidence. Considering he had an accomplice I'm willing to bet it was planned that way, but why?"

"That's what I wanna know." said Ed. "It's not every day Shelly de Killer himself would get himself wrapped up with a hostage standoff he isn't the cause of."

"You saw him?!" Wright asked in surprise.

"Yeah, and he recognized me." Ed replied, adding "My face, anyway. If he knew I was one of the Yatagarasu we'd have fought then and there."

"How did he know who you were?" Apollo asked the mercenary.

"In my younger days I was a SEAL." Ed explained, which earned a look of surprise from Edgeworth, Wright and Apollo. "After I left the military I sold my skills the highest bidder. I was working as a bodyguard in San Antonio when I ran into him. He'd come to kill a friend of my client's and would've killed me too if his gun didn't jam on him."

"I remember that." Edgeworth said. "The victim had a huge debt with the mafia or something to that effect."

"Which I didn't know at the time I was hired." Ed pointed out. "Anyway, if de Killer is involved then he or whoever he's working for has it in for Will Powers. I know you probably don't want to hear this Mr. Edgeworth but I think your family tragedy may be connected somehow." There was a long pause as everyone turned to Edgeworth for his reaction. While none in the room believed Franziska was capable of doing what she was accused of, this revelation was something they were all interested in hearing his thoughts on.

"If de Killer is responsible, I'll see that he pays..._**with his life**_." Edgeworth said. The others caught the dark overtone at the end of the sentence. Wright could only hope this wasn't a sign of what was to come. While Edgeworth had the utmost faith in the legal system, he could only imagine what would happen if that same system destroyed his family.

XxX

End Chapter 7.

The next 3 chapters should come faster in comparison to this one. I have a lot of stuff in this chapter that need to be processed, among them the fallout from the hostage standoff. Am I the only one who noticed things getting more complicated with every chapter? And _I'm_ the one who's _writing_ this story XD

Like Mark Anthony, Ed Ross is from my Serene Adventure. He's also a mercenary in my stories so easing him into this seemed like the right move. Anyone with a stronger connection to the original Mark Anthony would've resulted in more background info here but not Ed.

I will say the Yatagarasu will have a significant role in cracking this case. Two of them, anyway. Yes, things get even more complex as we go along. Things take a lighter upswing in the next chapter since Maya and Nick arrive in town.

Next chapter will come in a week's time. I should be ever closer to wrapping up _Ah! A Bundle of Joy_ by then. In the meantime, check out my Wordpress Blog. The link is in my author profile. Speaking of which, linking has been re-enabled for author profiles. As you can see I wasted no time getting my links back up!


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